The Tower Window
by ILoveYouDearly
Summary: A series of drabbles, both fluffy and serious, surrounding Rapunzel and Eugene in various stages of their lives together in both the movie and tv show settings. Slightly AU. Striving for depth of character more so than plot.
1. One: Good

Authors Note: This is a series of some light hearted, some serious, drabbles surrounding Eugene and Rapunzel in both the movie/show setting as well as made up scenes that just come to expand on their individual stories as well, of course, their love story. Not in movie chronological order or particularly written with a plot. Mostly, this is me getting back into writing, as well as entering the fandom I so adore with writing as opposed to just reading.

Please enjoy and if you feel so inclined, leave some thoughts and/or good vibes.

One; Good

Eugene never really held onto anything good for long.

Good – it was such a relative term. At the orphanage, good meant that there was edible food in their kitchen and wood for their fire. In the town where he got his start as a thief after being dismissed from said orphanage at 14, good meant that he didn't get caught, that he didn't feel guilty. When he was 19, beginning work with the Stabbington Brothers, sleeping in cots in the dusty homes of fellow convicts, good had meant that he did not feel emptiness when he saw families and knew he'd never have one. Good meant that he was able to hide himself beyond the mask of Flynn Rider, master thief and con artist, able to woo any high-class woman out of her jewels and often time her dress with his good looks and that _smolder_. Good meant that he could hold his own against any pain that may come his way with wit and charm and jokes. Pain, that sometimes resonated from so deep within him it cracked at the iron plated breastbone he hammered all around his heart.

Two days ago, good had meant that once he finished this job, this job of stealing the Princess Crown of Corona and selling it to the highest bidder, he would finally be alone. He would finally be able to shut himself out from the world and prying eyes. Good had meant that he would finally have the one thing he had always wanted, but never truly let himself desire. _A home_.

But good, good now had such a new meaning.

At 23, good meant an upheaval, a breaking of all conceptions he had held of this world before. He couldn't understand how this girl of 18, who had never seen anything outside of a brick tower, could possibly know so much about life. At first, he had thought that she was naïve, a child with outlandish ideas. However, he watched as she evolved, standing up to the things that terrified her - her mother's disapproval, the brutes in the pub, _the rabbit_. Eugene, he could scarcely remember the last time he had stood for anything other than selfish pride, much less battled anything he considered remotely terrifying.

When he awoke, tied to the wheel of a small boat, in tow with the very thing that had brought him to her, there was a change in him. Although, in his fear for her, he called out her name "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel!" he knew inside of him that something was different, that something was new.

His ultimate good, _his home_ , was suddenly not an empty castle.

It was a girl with green eyes.


	2. Two: Healer

Author's Note: Friends, thank you SO much for your kind reviews and your follows. I didn't expect much out of this, and I apologize for the delay. This one is a bit heavy, but I hope that you will enjoy it just the same. :)

Two; Healer

When Rapunzel was young, she did not understand the song.

At first, it had begun as her favorite lullaby, one that Mother sang to her on glimmering Sunday mornings as she combed through week old knots with the smell of berry pancakes still on her breath. She had felt so special; Mother had nicknamed her 'Flower' and told her to gleam and glow. It was as though she held the power of happiness in her dainty little hands. Mother always looked so elated and vibrant when she would be finished her lullaby, kissing the crown of her head.

However, only a few short years later, when Rapunzel tripped over her own tresses and grunted her fury, asking Mother why she couldn't be rid of this infernal _hair,_ Mother had grown cold. She told her that it was her duty, her _purpose,_ to keep herself and her golden hair hidden and safe, because people would steal it from her to do evil things with its immense power. In Rapunzel's young age, she did not understand how hair could be anything but _annoying_ – but it was a vow Mother made Rapunzel repeat _especially_ often after a rainy morning in April.

Rapunzel could remember the day clearly. She had been five and Mother was brushing her hair more often than just Sunday mornings. She looked more and more tired every time she came and Rapunzel couldn't understand why Mother thought that brushing helped, but she obliged.

"Rapunzel, is it not so cold with all that rain? I'm just positively chilled to the bone after my walk through it. Come sit with me by the fire, bring your brush."

The blonde, with a half huff, slowly got her brush from her vanity and then scurried down the stairs at the sound of Gothel's shrill request to hurry up. Rapunzel skidded to her wooden chair in front of where Mother was already seated.

"Mother, when can _I_ go play in the rain?" Rapunzel quietly whined, nearly bouncing in her seat.

"Rapunzel, stop with the mumbling, and _sit still_ ," the last two words were gritted through her teeth. She coolly added, "My sweet flower, settle, too much wiggling and I could hurt you."

Rapunzel harrumphed again but calmed. She felt Mother slowly pull the brush through the locks at her hairline, slow and sure.

"Flower, gleam and glow, let your power shine," she sang, in that same tune she had used for as long as Rapunzel could remember.

However, instead of moving to the next verse, Mother's voice seemed to die in her throat as the brush stopped its movement at the base of her skull.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine," she repeated, more quickly, her tone tense and poised with question.

The brush stayed still.

"Flower, _gleam_ and _glow_! Let your _power_ **shine**!" Mother was frantic as placed the brush back at the girl's forehead and ranked the brush through Rapunzel's hair so hard it made her head jerk back and the girl grunted.

"Mother, you're _hurting_ me!" The blonde cried out.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, you must sing the words! You know the verses, sing, SING!" The words were spoken in that same tense and frantic voice, demand hard in her quivering.

Rapunzel couldn't understand why Mother was upset.

"SING THE SONG RAPUNZEL!" it was a shrill bark of a demand.

Clearly shuttering in uneasiness, she sang the words in the same tune that Mother always had and knew something was different. It felt as though a hum of electricity spread from her hairline and down into her skin. She felt full of vibrance and power like she was…

"Mother, I think I'm glowing!" her young voice rung out after her song with such innocence and warmth and was met by a staggering wall of cold.

Rapunzel turned her head back at her mother after receiving no response from her, noticing the hair that Mother held in her hands was fading to its normal color from a vivacious gold. Her breath instantly caught in her throat, before she threw her hands over her mouth with a high-pitched squeal.

"MOTHER, LOOK WHAT I DID WITH OUR SONG! **I'M MAGIC**!"

Mother's gaze was full of ice.

"No, Rapunzel, _you_ are not."

That squeal, that happiness, left the room faster than the cold wind could take it out of the tower window.

Rapunzel soon learned her hair contained magnificent healing properties and that only the lullaby sung by her could awaken the power. So soon, she became that, simply a healer. Although, she hoped with all her might that she might be something beyond just that.

So when she knelt next to Eugene years later, sobbing, promising him that she would be all right, that if only she could just _heal_ him, everything would be okay, she knew that hope of being anything outside of being Gothel's healer was gone.

But the mirror shard, the shouting, and the release of his dying breath, destroyed the only title that Rapunzel had ever really known.

She was no longer a healer.

But when he opened his eyes, after the flower's last miracle, she knew that while she may have lost a title, she gained another.

 _His_.


	3. Three: Room

Author's Note: If you haven't seen the TV show (which you should!) you may not understand all the references in this one. Happy reading.

Three; Room

Eugene left room for her, to be, well, _her_.

Never once did he belittle or chastise her when she misunderstood a situation or took something too seriously. Never once did he impose his perceptions upon her, instead, letting her figure out the world around her at her rate. He gave her room breathe, to flourish, and to live a life that she never even imagined in that tower. He had even been the catalyst to lead her to the dream of her life eighteen-year-old life. He had encouraged her not to be afraid to lose that dream, but instead, to find and replace it with another. Heck, even after his failed proposal, instead of packing his things and leaving for an easier situation, he made a vow that he would do anything he could until he understood why she would say no.

So, when he messed up on his duty as a guard with the castle, leaving that cell block unattended, she did demean him for his lack of common sense.

When moments of that arrogant 'Flynn' came out, either in a back-handed comment to Cass or a snide comment to her about himself, she looked past the face-value cockiness into the heart that she knew held such depth and love.

And when he came to her, bashful and shy, holding a flower ring, telling her that he had never meant to hurt her by his antics with Lance there wasn't a part of her heart that didn't forgive him for his mistake.

She was not the same girl from the tower and neither was he the same man who stole her crown.

She gave him room to be _him_ , too.

And when she looked into his eyes, she knew, that even despite the hardships they would come against, he was the one dream she would never want to replace.


	4. Four: Everything

Author's Note: The last couple have been serious, so I'm ready for some fluff! I was thinking about the Kingdom Dance scene when Eugene and Rapunzel are in the library pouring over the books and thought, aw, how sweet would it be to elaborate on that moment?

Four; Everything

"I didn't even know the world was this _big_!"

Rapunzel's exclamation reverberated against the walls of the library as she turned the page from the world map in front of them.

Eugene eyed her from his place at her side. He watched the way her words lightened not just every part of her face, but her smile was so big he was almost afraid it'd break her pretty head in half.

"Yeah, I've been to a lot of these places," he gloated with a wave of his hand over the page. He paused for a moment and added softer this time, "Where do you want to go?"

"Well – just – _everywhere_!" she cried out, slightly breathless. "I didn't know there was so much. I've been looking at the same field for 18 years that – it's just so hard to imagine where I would go!"

She met his eyes with a look that struck him to his very core, it was so free, so unguarded, so joyful. He could scarcely remember the last time someone had been so open with him. Maybe never. But he didn't care because he had it, he had _her_ , right now.

"Venice is nice, I've been there quite a few times. The locals don't particularly like a guy like me, but hey. They'd probably go crazy after a girl like you, with your super fantastic hair and dance moves. But this, being the best day of your life and all, I'm _sure_ it'll pale in comparison," he teased her, not the way a thief named Flynn seduced a woman of her jewels, but in the way that a boy would tease a pretty blonde girl.

She looked down shyly, that smile tugging even harder at the corners of her mouth, clearly fighting back a laugh.

He had known she was beautiful the first time he saw her, but in this moment, his heart swelled uncomfortably, to the point where he felt it would burst.

"Thank you."

Her soft whisper left the aftermath of an explosion in his chest. No one had ever thanked him for anything.

She looked up while slightly shrugging her shoulders, still shy and unsure. "I know you're supposed to be my guide, and instead I've pulled you all around the kingdom."

She became more confident, "So, Eugene, what would you like to show me?"

' _Everything_.' His soul sang.

"Actually," now his face was the one that was going to split in half. "I do have something I want to show you."

 _Well, the best day of your life? I figured you should have a decent seat._


	5. Five: Loved

Author's Note: Hi friends! Thank you all so much for the encouraging reviews. They're so sweet and make me super happy. Thank you for taking the time to read my humble little book of drabbles and I'm glad you find enjoyment from them. There have been some requests for some scenes from the TV show – and I will get there, I promise! Enjoy the next installment!

Five; Loved

Rapunzel could still taste him on her lips.

In the moment, when she grabbed the neck of Eugene's vest and pulled him to her, her joy at him breathing had thrown all caution to the wind. She had felt no fear. Gothel was gone, he was _alive._ Even as they left the tower together hand-in-hand and mounted Maximus, speeding through the greenery of the woods, she had felt safe. She felt so hopeful for the future. The warmth of his chest at her back and the feel on his hands around her waist – oh, it was foreign – but it was wonderful.

The taste of her courage still lingered on her mouth, salty but sweet, but she couldn't contain the sudden bite of anxiety that seeped in her voice.

" _What if they don't like me_?"

It seemed in that moment that all of the bravery that she encompassed only an hour ago flooded into the balcony through the soles of her bare feet. She was mildly shaken and doe-eyed. Her arms came together so she could nervously clutch her elbows. Eugene had asked the guards to get the King and Queen, told them that their beloved daughter had returned.

All of the ugly words Gothel had ever said to her started running through her head. Once, they had been endearments, words of 'protection' but now she knew that they held only malice and a desire for control. But - what if all those things she said were **true**?

' _Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy_ …'

How could she possibly be enough to be the daughter of a royal couple?

' _Please, they'll eat you up alive_ …'

"Hey," Eugene's smooth, masculine tone cut away from the shrill singing of Gothel in her head.

" _Hey,_ " his rough fingers came to the side of her face, "Don't like you? That's crazy talk."

She met his eyes, green melting into golden brown, struggling to fight back tears.

"They've been sending out lanterns for _18 years_ , waiting for this day. Sure, will they be surprised? Of course. Will they be completely blown away by your fabulous hair cut?" His mouth lifted into a coy smile as he reached his hand from her face to gently pull on a strand of hair. "Most definitely."

This rose a laugh from the brunette, loud enough that it broke away a fraction of her fear.

His hand again came to her cheek, warm against her skin.

"They will love you, Rapunzel," his voice held no tease.

Suddenly, there was the sound of the doors behind them opening, and Rapunzel turned around to see a women and man in the archway. The woman approached first, warily, and nervously the young brunette waited.

The woman's hand reached out to touch where Eugene had just held her and the recognition flitted between them.

Gothel's words died on that balcony in that moment.

She didn't have to be afraid anymore. Not of the world and not of the people who lived in it.

Because all at once, she was loved.


End file.
